Asian shares mixed; Samsung skids 2% after earnings

Asian shares were mixed on Tuesday while liquidity was thin with Japanese markets shut for a public holiday.

Caution set in as the U.S. and Europe slapped more sanctions on Russia on Monday, including visa bans on those close to President Vladimir Putin. 17 companies and 7 individuals in all were U.S. targets in this round of sanctions, which come amid mounting tension over eastern Ukraine. Armed pro-Russian rebels broke up a rally in support of Kiev in the regional capital of Donetsk, injuring several people.

Investors will also be looking ahead to a policy meeting by the Federal Open Market Committee, which starts later on Tuesday. The two-day review culminates with a press conference by Fed Chair Janet Yellen and market watchers will be looking for any signs of when interest rates could rise ahead of Friday's non-farms payroll (NFP) report for April.

Mainland shares rebounded thanks to upbeat earnings after ending at a more than one-month low in the previous session.

Among the top gainers, Ping An Insurance rose 2.6 percent after posting a 46 percent rise in first-quarter profit while Datong Coal jumped by the maximum trading limit of 10 percent after reporting $166 million in quarterly profits.

Property developers pared losses on news that the city of Nanning will loosen regulations on house buying. Vanke fell 0.4 percent after posting a 5 percent annual decline in profit. Earlier in the session, the stock tanked as much as 2 percent.